Fort Belvoir, Va. (Oct. 23, 2014) - Members of U.S. Army Garrison Fort Belvoir learned how to "Drop, Cover, and Hold On" in the event of an earthquake during the 2014 Great ShakeOut drill Oct. 14.
The event taught employees to drop to the ground, take cover by getting under a sturdy desk or table and hold on while being prepared to move with the object of cover until the shaking stops.
Public schools, colleges, private companies and federal agencies across the U.S. participated in the event, including 1.2 million people in Virginia.
"The whole object of the drill was to practice safety precautions in case of an earthquake," said Paul Alquisa, Belvoir Directorate of Plans, Training, Mobilization and Security, contingency planner. "This was a country-wide event."
If there is no table or desk near, people are encouraged to drop to the ground and then, if possible, move to an inside corner of the room. Be in a crawling position to protect your vital organs and be ready to move if necessary, and cover your head and neck with your hands and arms.
Do not move to another location or outside. Earthquakes occur without any warning and may be so violent that you cannot run or crawl. You are more likely to be injured if you try to move around during strong shaking.
Alquisa encourages people to follow this information, not myths, when acting during an earthquake.
"Misconceptions people have is going to a doorway because they think it's the strongest part of the building," said Alquisa. "All modern houses have the same building structure, so it doesn't matter if it's a doorway or another area of the house."
Also emphasized during the ShakeOut is the Belvoir ad hoc mass notification system. The system alerts residents and employees on the installation of an upcoming severe weather or emergency situation.
"The system alerts the residents and everybody who has access to that (system) what's going on, whether it's an earthquake, tornado, hurricane, or an active-shooter situation," said Alquisa.
To register, residents' and employees' internet needs to be serviced by the Network Enterprise Center. They need to click on the "Show Hidden Icons" tab in the bottom right of their computer screen and click on the purple globe that pops up.
After clicking on the globe, people should click on the "Access Self-Service" link which brings up the Fort Belvoir Mass notification system. Cell phones and personal email accounts can be designated as the receiver of the notification.
Currently, 7,000 people at Fort Belvoir are registered in the ad hoc system; a number Alquisa wants to see rise.
"We want people to register for it so they can be notified of severe weather situations, or another emergency situation on post," said Alquisa.
Social Sharing